Hannanprint: Twin-Web LITHOMAN Outstrips Gravure

2012 will see major changes within Hannanprint, a division of IPMG: by mid July 2012 Australia’s largest heatset web press, the country’s first 96-page LITHOMAN, is expected to take up production. The twin 48-page webs that produce 96 pages through eight printing units in a stacked configuration will play an important role in a 90 million Australian dollar (approx. 68 million euro) relocation project resulting in a new production site in west of Sydney.

“We’ve had a great relationship with IPMG since they bought their first LITHOMAN press in 1999. We are very proud to be associated with the new Warwick Farm site as it will become a showpiece for the entire printing industry on its completion,” said Gerd Finkbeiner, CEO manroland. Steve Dunwell, Managing Director manroland Australasia, added: “Warwick Farm is planned to be one of the most advanced and automated sites in the world. We are happy to play a major role here and are very confident Hannanprint chose the right strategy.”

Instead of investing in gravure presses as originally planned IPMG decided in favor of commercial web offset. This decision was due to assessments of future requirements including run length, the ability to blend other sections produced offset, and that Hannanprint has some of the best trained printers and operators already very familiar with the offset process and in particular the LITHOMAN technology. The new Hannanprint LITHOMAN will be one of still only a few presses in the world capable of printing 96 pages in one pass. It is the second LITHOMAN in stacked configuration and is to be operated with the manroland autoprint technology. It is equipped with the AUROSYS fully-automatic reel transport and reel store administration system.

The new production site at Warwick Farm will replace the one in Alexandria, which is going to be closed by mid 2013 and the property redeveloped. Three web presses will be moved to Warwick Farm within the next 18 months: two 48-page LITHOMAN and a 32-page ROTOMAN in stacked configuration. They will also be upgraded by adding InlineDensity Control systems and fully-automatic reel splicers. The new plant is aimed at being as energy efficient and environmentally sustainable as possible. Just two examples of this are: air conditioning of all production areas will be assisted by the heat recovery from the press dryers. Additionally, after the completion of a new rail line, paper transport will be handled via rail taking the rolling stock directly into the paper store, thus eliminating up to 19 truck movements a day. IPMG does most of the News Limited and Fairfax externally printed newspaper inserted magazines and consumer magazines under long-term contracts.